Process of producing lithographic inserts



JOHN H. BUSCHER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

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No Drawing. Application filed December To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. BUSCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at li ashington, District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Process of Producing Lithographic Inserts, of which the follo ing is a specification.

This invention is a process for producing lithographic inserts of any arbitrary design, and of any preferred selected pattern or ruling, without the use of pattern plates or stones.

In order that the invention may be fully understood by those'skilled in the art, it is desirable that the common practice of pulling a transfer in the lithographic art, be briefly reviewed. To those familiar with the art it is well known that in order to pull a transfer from a ruling or pattern plate, by the present practice, the paper is first coated with a preparation of starch and flour, which must be permitted to dry. The coating and drying steps require considerable time. The sheet is then dampened with a mixture of glycerin and water, just sufficient to cause it to adhere to the plate, the consistency of the mixture depending upon atmospheric conditions. For instance, on a dry day the mix-- ture must be wetter than on a clamp day, and inasmuch as this is a question which depends upon the skill and judgment of the operator, it will be readily understood that considerable time may be wasted before the paper is properly fixed. The next step is to stretch the paper smooth for the plate. The plate must be engraved with all of the consequent trouble of cleaning, and when ready is inked in, wiped off, and polished by wiping, whereupon it is ready to be pulled. The plate is then put in the press, the paper put on, and pressure applied to force it down into the en raved portions, the plate and paper be ing then heated and passed through the press the desired number of times, after which the paper is ready to be taken off. As is wellknown, if the transfer is pulled with soft ink it is liable to be squashed, or if pulled with hard ink, itis liable to be too light. In either event, it will have to be pulled over, all of which wastes time and depends wholly upon the skill and judgment of the operator.

To pull a transfer from a pattern or ruling stone, the paper must first be dampened, just the same as for a plate, except that it will probably be dryer for the stone than for the plate. The stone is washed off with Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J uly 20, 19,20.

4, 1918'. Serial No. 265,313.

turpentine, and the work having been etched into the stone with acid, only the ink is re moved, the stain of the impression remain ing. The stone is then rubbed off with ink and gum to give it a body, after which it is rolled up and the impression pulled. The piece of pattern or ruling which is to be put in on the stone must be marked out and gummed around its margin to define the boundaries of a required insert, for instance, and it is then necessary to cut a piece out of the transfer which has just been pulled from the small pattern plate or stone. This insert piece is then put on the marked out and sensitized place of the other stone and run t1 rough a press until transferred. This operation depends upon the skill and judgment of the operator, because if it should go down too light or mash out, the transfer must he made all over again, and it is not uncommon to lose an entire day, and if the establishment should not have enough presses, some of the operators will have to wait until a press is free and possibly lose several days.

The object of the present invention is to provide a process by which much time and labor is saved by dispensing with the step of pulling an impression with transfer papers, thereby avoiding the necessity of employing the usual pattern plate or stone, and to apply the insert directly to'the sensitized surface of the plate or stone to which the insert is to be applied, by an inked impression member, preferably a roller, containing an impression surface which conforms to the ruling or other ornamental or distinguishing character of the insert.

As is well-known in the art any clean surface on a stone or plate is always sensitive 2'. 6., it is of such a character that any ink or grease which touches it will adhere and cannot be removed except by scraping. Therefore it is to be understood that wherever the term sensitive surface is re ferred to in this specification, a clean sur face capable of receiving ink is meant. If a supplemental pattern or design is to be placed upon such a clean or sensitive surface and said design is of a particular size to match in with a larger design to show its color, the space where the special supplemental design is to be applied is usually surrounded by a resist and an inked roller is passed over the entire surface of he stone, applying ink net only to the sensitive face but also to the resist covered surface. After the ink has dried the ink covered resist may be washed off with water leaving undisturbed the space which was intended to receive the ink.

In practising the process of the invention,

' instead of pulling an impression with transfer paper, a plurality of specially designed rollers are preferably employed, having different designs applied to their peripheries in the form of impression surfaces, each roller having but one design. After the stone has been marked out to define the boundaries of the insert or other portion to be applied, a resist of gum or the like,'is placed around the portion surrounding the space where the insert is to be placed, leaving the stone or plate clean and'sensitive within said boundaries. The roller having the desired design is then selected, and after being inked in sultable manner, is passed smoothly over the exposed surface not covered by the gum resist, whereupon the pattern or ruling of the roller is directly transferred to the stone or plate upon said exposed sensitive surface, the shade of the impression, either light or dark, manifest ly depending upon the pres-' ing all of said surface except the area defined by said outline, with a resist, and applying a design to the uncoated surface only by means of an inked impression member providedwith the desired design.

2. A process for producing lithographic inserts comprising marking out a predetermined outline. upon a sensitive surface, coating allof said surface except the area defined by said outline, with alresist, and applying a design to the uncoated surface only by a relatively moving impression member provided with the desired design.

3. A process for producing lithographic inserts comprising marking out-a predeter-f mined outline upon a sensitive surface, coating all of said surface e Xcept thearea defined by said outline, wlth a resist, and passing an inked roller over said surface to apply the ink to saidoutlinedarea, the periphery of said roller being provided with the desired design.

4. A process forproducing lithographic V inserts comprising rendering a sensitive surface lmpervlous to ink except'as; to one or '65 more areas of desired contour, andpassing an lnked impression member over said sur face and in contact therewith to apply a design to the exposed areas.

5. A process for producing lithographic inserts comprising rendering a sensitive s urface lmpervlous to ink except as to one or more areas of desired contour, and; passing an inked roller over said surface and in contact therewith to apply a design to the exposed area or areas,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. r i

JOHN 'HjBUseHER. 

